MegaFlash Released!

[norecess]

The MegaFlash is an ROM expansion for all the CPCs.

Of course, it depends of ROM you are actually using. I know it's bad from me, but my ROMs (HxC and QuickCMD) are actually not compatible with Amstrad 464.


@Bryce I guess it's premature from me to ask this, but any idea when do you plan to eventually start making first batch of MegaFlash commands ? 

[Bryce]

Hi norecess,
      the batch is already being prepared. The PCBs have been ordered and I hope they will arrive late next week or early the week after. The components will be ordered today. So I should be ables to build the first MegaFlash around the 7t or 8th of August.

Bryce.

[Bryce]

For those who might be interested, here's the final Layout. The actual size of the PCB is 68mm x 56mm. So it is approximately the width of the expansion port connector or for the smokers among us, it'll fit inside a 20 pack I can already imagine the "Mod" casings that comment is going to produce

As you can see, I've added text in the copper for the Read/Write switch (The "R" and "W" on the right) and also a "0" and "7" so that you don't forget which jumper does what. The White placement/part/value text won't be printed on the PCB.

I will be uploading the DIY layout files to the Wiki as soon as the layout has been confirmed.

Bryce.

Edit: Just in case you are not used to reading layout drawings, the red lines are the tracks on the top of the PCB, the blue ones are the bottom layer tracks.

[Bryce]

Hi all,
    the PCBs have just arrived! I'll solder one up and post some pictures here and on the Wiki page as soon as I have time.

Bryce.

[Gryzor]

Hi all,
    the PCBs have just arrived! I'll solder one up and post some pictures here and on the Wiki page as soon as I have time.

Bryce.

Mine! Mine! (so long as it works).

[Kris]

Great !!! Hope to see them soldered quickly.......If it can help you to gain time, I'm ok to received the megaflash as a kit to solder by myself. 

[Bryce]

I did consider the "Kit" option, but I thought it's better to send them built and (more importantly) tested so that things don't get complicated. As well as that, the Flash IC needs to be initialised before it can be used, which means the kit owner would need to own an expensive EPROM Burner to complete the job.

I will build one (hopefully tonight) just so that I can release a picture. And if all goes well I should have time to build and send out quite a few next week.

Bryce.

[Gryzor]

Well, it's a trade-off: right now it takes some time to solder everything in place; whereas if you sent out kits you'd have to deal with support requests I guess...

[norecess]

I will build one (hopefully tonight) just so that I can release a picture

Let us know how it works out. All eyes here are looking at you !

[TFM]

Patience friends! When starting to produce a new project - especially at the very beginning - it's really important to do enough tests.
And Bryce wants only to sell 1000% tested, checked and certified MegaFlash cards. He is damn-right ;-)

[Nilquader]

Just to clear things up: The ACID hardware hack DOES NOT need repeated resets. It works just from the beginning. Only if you habe a hardware reset button and you press it there is a 50 percent chance that the flipflop is in the wrong state and the system will not boot again. In this case just press the button again and the system will be fine!

[Bryce]

Wow, that's much more stable than the statements I've read. That needs to be known. I haven't tried the hack out myself, but if it works that well, there's no point in investing time and energy developing a PAL or µP solution. That's more than enough. I think I'll make myself one and do some serious testing. It would make some of my ideas much more viable

Bryce.

[00WReX]

Hi Bryce,
just read that there is a rev.a & rev.b MegaFlash.
And as far as I could tell the only difference is the R/W switch.
Was there any reason for the change ?
Sorry if you have mentioned this previously.

Cheers,
Shane

[Bryce]

I just call them Rev A. and Rev. B. but the only difference is the switch used: Rev. A has a small blue switch, Rev. B is a larger black and white switch (which unfortunately blocks the "R" and "W" on the PCB). There's no other changes and it's exactly the same PCB. The change was only made because my component supplier dis-continued the blue switch so I had to source an alternative.

Bryce.

[00WReX]

Ah, OK...thanks. 

And the R & W being mostly covered is not an issue.
The LED does the job nicely 

Cheers,
Shane

[Bryce]

Yes, but the "R" and "W" were put there, so that you can be sure you are in Read mode before you turn on the CPC. If you turn the CPC on and the LED lights, then it's already too late and you may have corrupted bits in the Flash.

Bryce.

[00WReX]

Just need to have a glimpse at the LED as you are about to switch off the CPC.
No LED and you are good to go 

Cheers,
Shane

[00WReX]

Hi all,
Sorry in advance if this is a dumb question, and I know it's been discussed before...but from what I've read and what I am actually seeing...
On a classic CPC can you run a modified/hex edited version of BASIC (ROM 0) without any other mod.
I understand that the firmware & BASIC must match, and did read a reply from Bryce in the Megaflash progress post that said...

You can overwrite ROM 0 (Basic) on any CPC, but you can not simply replace Basic
1.0 with Basic 1.1 without having replaced the lower ROM (Firmware), the reason
for this is that the Firmware Version has to match the Basic Version. You can
create patched/edited Basic ROMs and no changes need to be made inside the CPC.
The MegaFlash can't overwrite the Firmware, so this would have to be done inside
the CPC or with an additional expansion card.

To me, this sounds like you can, I have a 6128 and did a simple hex edit to a 6128 basic rom and it does not work in the MegaFlash in ROM 0 with the jumper on the board set to activate ROM 0 on the MegaFlash. My hex edit was simply to change the "Ready" with "Hello", purely for the purpose of testing this out and it works fine in an emulator. Am I missing something...even with the BASIC that was on the MegaFlash when it was sent out it does the same thing.

Cheers,
Shane

[Bryce]

Strange, that should work. I have done similar stupid BASIC mods and they worked. Upload the ROM so that I (and others) can give it a go.

Bryce.

[TFM]

@Shane: Do you have the latest version of ROManager?

[00WReX]

Thanks guys for the reply...firstly, I am using version 1.35 of the ROManager from the FutureOS website.

What I am seeing with the BASIC ROM on the Megaflash (in pos 0) is in the first attached picture...and it cyclic reboots every few seconds. If I switch the jumper on the MegaFlash back to the off position (jumper to the left) while it is doing this, the CPC will then boot normally.

The second attached screenshot is the modified ROM running under WinCPC.

And the ROM is attached...the only two changes made are:-
1) Changed "1.1" to "1.2" for the BASIC version.
2) Changed "Ready" to "Hello" for the prompt.

Thanks again...very interested to hear what you think, and also if possible could someone upload a modified BASIC ROM file that you have definately tested as working on the Megaflash in ROM position 0 and the CPC6128 boots from it.

Cheers,
Shane

[TFM]

Hi there!

Ok, IMHO your ROM is NOT the problem. Please try to use the attached software (under FutureOS). I assume it will work. If not, please let me know.

This is not an official release!!! But it shall do the job.

[00WReX]

OK, thanks.
I tried version 1.44 under FutureOS...and things are just not happening as I'd expect.
I know I'm sounding like a real noob here, but I've played around with so many things over the years, I'd like to think I have not got this wrong.
Anyway, I was assuming the FutureOS ROManager works the same way as the Basic version (had not used the FutureOS version before).
So, I load it up no problems (black & white colour scheme instead of the blue (for basic). Version check = 1.44
Go to load a ROM as you do in the basic version. The ROM loads from the disk, then instead of the giving you the ROM screen
to select the position it simply returns to the main screen so I tried the 1.35 version for FutureOS and it's the same.

I have parked all ROMs so that only the FutureOS ROMs (in pos 10 to 13) are active, and again run the ROManager from disc...same result.
Also with ver 1.44, I've noticed a "reset CPC" option.
If I select that before attempting the load rom as mentioned above, then it works and the CPC resets.
If I attempt to load a rom as mentioned above (and that does not work), then go to reset CPC, all that happens is the ROManager returns
to the main screen.

So any ROM I try to load fails in the FutureOS versions of ROManager...these all load with the BASIC version...Something is not right.
Did a bit more looking around and noticed that (via MangeDSK) the ROMs that are included with the BASIC version on ROManager
are saved as Binary files...The ROMs that are included with the FutureOS version are saved as ASCII...

All my ROMs that I have been using are saved as Binary.

I must admit, I have not read this anywhere, but I must have missed this...

Once I saved one of my ROMs as ASCII, it loaded fine under the FutureOS ROManager.

But, still no go with the BASIC ROM, even after trying the ASCII version under ROManager for FutureOS.

Admittedly I've only had the Megaflash a very short time, but I thought I had it all worked out with the ROmanager software.
Maybe not...

So at the moment, I back where I started...

Can anyone confirm 100% that they can get the BASIC ROM0 working from the MegaFlash. I would be really interested to hear if you do. Thanks.

Cheers,
Shane

UPDATE:
Just gave this a try via QuickCMD and it only likes the Binary saved ROMs, will not load the ASCII ones.
But the BASIC ROM still produces the same result once enabled on the MegaFlash.

[Bryce]

This might sound really stupid, but was the BASIC ROM that you edited, the correct one for your CPC, ie: was it BASIC 1.1 if your are doing this on a 6128 or BASIC 1.0 on a 464? There are many reasons for the effect you're describing, so there are a few other things that might need to be checked.

When I get home at the weekend, I'll make an edited ROM that I have tested on my CPC and send you the image, that way we can see if its a software glitch or a hardware issue.

Bryce.

[00WReX]

Hi Bryce, yes I'm using a Schneider 6128 (so just an english ROM), and yes definately an English 6128 BASIC is what I'm using.
Also this is confirmed with an emulator.

Out of interest, what ROM 0 was installed on the MegaFlash when it was shipped ?

Also, is anybody with a MegaFlash able to test this out...even if you simply try moving the ROM 0 board jumper across to the right and see if you CPC boots correctly. Thanks.

Cheers,
Shane